I'M Not Scared

Salvatores, A Writer, actor, and director. Born on July 30th, 1950 In naples. He moved to Milan and started his career as a theatre director in 1972. For most of the 70's and the 80's he directed everything that was shown at Elf's Theater. His popularity among italians was growing immensely. His style of directing was classified as Avant Garde or "cutting edge". A style that i think he has continued to use today.

As a director his career consist of 14 major productions and his big break through wasn't until 1989, when he directed the "Marrakech Express" . From there he directed several other hits such as "Turne" (1990), "Mediterreaneo" (1991), "Denti"(2000), "Amnesia"(2002), and of course "I'm not Scared"(2003).

As a Writer, he wrote 6 out of the 14 movies that he directed. And they all did very well in the box office.

he has won several awards and has been nominated several times as well, including his oscar for best foreign film "Mediterreaneo", he has written and directed his way into the hearts of many people and after watching "I'm not scared" i consider him one of my favorite directors of today.

"I'm not scared" Won 2 awards (the silver ribbon and david of the youth) and was nominated for 3 other awards (David, Bodil, and the golden berlin bear) the movie is based of the bestseller novel from Niccolo Ammaniti published in 2001. It seems odd that Salvatores would direct such a movie because his movies often deal with themes of disillusionment, escape from reality, Utopian ideologies, and generational identity.

The articles About salvatores directing this film suggest that in many ways Salvatores film recalls Carlo Carlie's "flight of the Innocent" which also is about a kidnapping of a child. Flight of the Innocent suffered from visual and sentimental overkill while in "I'm not scared" the emotions struggle to emerge, less due to salvatores aesthetics than to his tendency to favor head over heart.

Plot:

the movie 1978, South Italy, during the hottest summer of the century. While playing in the countryside, ten-year-old Michele discovers Filippo, a boy chained to the ground at the bottom of a hole, being held for ransom. Filippo is confused and apathetic, and talks very little. The kidnappers have told him that he is dead and he believes it. Filippo appears to suffer from cotard delusion. He has been kept in the dark for months and therefore cannot stand much light now. Michele visits him regularly, and brings him water and bread, and once takes a walk with him outside, after which he brings him back to the hole. All the time he tells no one about Filippo. Michele witnesses Felice a sinister man from town, nearby and suspects he has something to do with the kidnapping. Michele is unsure whom he should tell about his discovery, eventually spilling the beans to his closest friend in return for a toy car. The friend then tells Felice in return for a drive in a real one. Michele's parents learn of his discovery and, since they are involved, warn him to forget whatever he saw. Filippo is moved to a cave, so Michele can't visit him. One night Michele overhears plans to kill Filippo. He manages to find and free him, but is then shot by his father, who mistook his son for Fillipo. The police arrive by helicopter and while michele dies in his father's hands.

Characters:

Michele:

A 9 year old boy who one day after playing child games at what seemed to be an abandoned house finds flippo, a kidnapped boy in a hole outside the house. This leads to series of events between him and his parents that signal the end of michele's boyhood and take a role of a grown up. he is also the narrator who skilfully tells his story, taking us into the mind of a nine-year-old. His fears are enunciated and represent the fears of most children. It is a mark of Michele's nature that he comes to terms with these fears in his own way. He outlines...

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...I’m Not Scared
“I’m Not Scared” by Niccolo Ammaniti is a dramatic thriller in which the author portrays the contrasting themes of loyalty and betrayal with the use of symbolism and characterisation.
“I’m Not Scared” is a dramatic tale set in a small Italian hamlet written in first person narrative. The protagonist in this novel is Michele, a 9 year old boy who accidentally stumbles upon a young boy who is being held ransom. Throughout the novel Michele visits and as the story progresses Michele finds out that his ‘Papa’ and all the adults in Acqua Traverse are holding the young boy ransom. As Michele develops as a character we see the contrast of loyalty and betrayal. We are shown this particularly at the novels climax as Michele’s loyalty to the young boy is entwined with the betrayal of his father.
The themes of loyalty and betrayal are effectively conveyed through the use of the ‘matches’ as a symbolic object. Michele and his younger sister, Maria are arguing over who has to fetch the water and as there is no fair solution, Michele’s father comes up with the soldiers draw idea:-
“Do you know the soldier’s draw?...
You take three matches,...
Whoever draws the headless
Match goes to get the water.
Pick one, come on”
The use of the matches in this case show the reader that papa is trying to be fair and be a loyal and loving father to his children. He doesn’t want either of them...

...﻿What is Pino’s intention here? Is he trying to make his son understand? Is he providing him with the guidance and support needed at this crucial part of the book?
Please write a response that is min 20 words.
Through the conversation between Pino and Michele, it is clear to the reader that Pino is apparently portrayed as the powerful manipulator, an arrogant, obstinate and uncaring father. Through his actions of constantly berating Michele regardless of his son’s wellbeing ( Michele is half-sleep), we can feel that this is not the conversation between father and son but the police and a villain. This is indicative of how unaffectionate, selfish, and uncaring Pino is as a father, who hardly cares for his son’s feelings but only about if his plans go well. Further evidence of him being callous is elaborated through his threatening requests for Michele without any reasonable explanations. The author suggests that he does not at all care about the instinct curiosity of a nine-year-old boy who has just encountered a marked event in his life. This is shown in his over-expectation, his hardened feeling towards his son: “Forget him. He doesn’t exist anymore.” As a reader, we can see that it is just too much, like a detrimental block, a mentally agonizing pain for a gradually growing mindset of a little boy: “I felt as though I have been stabbed in the side”. Through his prurient, violent threatening to Michele: “thrashing of your life, shoot him in the head, swear on your...

...Practice Essay
If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn’t follow. Id be at the bottom to catch them when they fall. This quote reflects friendship and loyalty in an almost perfect way and never has a quote been falser than in Aqua Traverse where friendship and loyalty are non-existent for the residents. In Niccolo Ammaniti’s thriller novel I’m not scared the characters that are portrayed are shown to be Un-loyal and some of them worst friends Imaginable. The children inhabitants of Aqua Traverse are not a real child hood group of friends rather a group of kids that play together out of convenience. The adults in the sleepy little Southern Italian town are no better then the kids as they are only drawn together as friends because of the money that is at stake. Loyalty is another thing that is absent from the town of Aqua Traverse the people that call this place their own are only concerned with one thing themselves. It only takes one outsider in to the mix and already a sense of trust and loyalty is forged between Filippo and Michele.
The children of Aqua Travers are thrown together and are friends out of convenience rather than a common liking of each other. In the “friendship” group of the children there is a prominent hierarchy that is apparent from the onset. Skull the leader of the group is the unchallenged boss that ruled with a domineering hand “Skull was the oldest in the gang. Twelve years old. And he was the Chief”...

...Topic: I'm not scared,' is a rites of passage novel which charts Michele's journey from innocence into a maturity beyond his years.
Niccolo Ammaniti's I'm not scared,' charts the life of a young boy named Michele Amitrano who has to deal with issues that are not a common occurrence of a 9yr old boy. Throughout the story we witness Michele's journey from childhood innocence into a maturity beyond his years. This is evident firstly through Michele's ability to stand up to his fears in order to support what he believes in. Secondly through Michele's realisation that the adult world is not as innocent as he first thought and the realisation that adults, in particular his father are capable of cruel violence. And finally through Michele's experiences with the fragility and virtue of trust. Throughout the story Michele is capable of standing up to his fears in order to support what he believes in.
Throughout I'm not scared,' Michele has to face many fears, both childish and real in order to support what he believes is right. One real fear that Michele had to face was standing up to Skull the leader of his group when he considered the forfeit given to Barbara to be unnecessary and harsh. When Michele stands up to Skull it is the first real time that he has had the guts to do so and this event gives Michele the confidence to face other fears later in the story. Another real fear that...

...Nicolo Ammaniti’s coming of age novel, ‘I’m not scared’, emphasises people’s capacity for evil and self-destruction however it also demonstrates certain people’s ability to show compassion and selflessness. Michele learns that cruelty exists in the real world and not just in his imagination when his father tells him that: “It’s men you should be afraid of, not monsters.” Bullying and poverty, which are explored throughout the novel, also illustrate man’s ability to be evil and to cause self-destruction; this idea is enhanced by the influence of corrupt adults and a sense of having to prove oneself. However this also demonstrates the idea that people are capable of making their own moral choices and are able to show compassion and selflessness in times of need.
Bullying is explored throughout the novel and is used to further demonstrate man’s capacity for evil, this is enhanced by the adults who are corrupt and are raising their children on the idea that to gain power it is acceptable to bully others. The novel focusses on the idea that people’s ability to be evil is also enhanced by people, especially men, feeling the need to prove themselves, to be brave and strong and powerful. This idea is demonstrated when Sergio is leading a meeting between the adults who captured Filippo and they are talking about what they should do. It is a pivotal scene because it is when Michele finally discovers what his father has to do with the boy in the hole....

...(stop) – Michele
• I’ll pay up. I came last – Michele’s moral righteousness is evident at the start
• ‘Your heavy’ & ‘Did you do your push ups?’ – CC, Pino judges Michele in terms of his masculinity and physical strength
• So they bury him and he remains in the belly of the earth among secrets, corpses, bones, skeletons and darkness – Michele’s active imagination – his coping mechanism
• If you want to do as you please then leave. Get lost! – Pino banishes Michele when the shoe sales man has arrived, distance between Pino & Michele is established
• I’m not playing anymore – growing divide between Michele & his friends, he has more adult concerns on his mind other than ‘stiff statues’.
• Someone’s coming in a few days. So no fuss and no whining – Sergio is coming
• If Felice comes and finds it, he’ll figure it out – Michele is worried that Felice will find the bread as Filippo won’t give it back
• Are you my guardian angel?
• I’m dead – Filippo’s reasoning as to why he has been left in the hole, why have his parents left him there?
• Hide him and stay cool – Sergio’s instructions to his fellow kidnappers – power
• They said it would end soon. It’s been two months!
• You’re the worst because you think – Sergio puts Pino down, actions are what are required in Sergio’s mind
• We’ll cut off two ears – Felice attempting to be manly and brave, Sergio’s influence
• Your Mom was on T.V, you could see the sailing ship. She said that she and...

...I'm Not Scared  CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTER 1: Main characters have a race, Maria hurts her leg. Barbara forced to complete a forfeit, Michele does it instead. Michele completes forfeit. Most of the main characters are talked about. Papa brings them a present of a model Gondola; Acqua Traverse is revealed.
CHAPTER 2: There is a talk with Michele and Maria at the start. Michele finds Fillipo, there is a lot of description of Michele finding him. Michele at this point is horrified, he tries to talk to him but gets even more scared. Michele has a second talk with Maria, Michele says he is going to run away from home, but in the end of the conversation he went home. At the end of this chapter you get a very good description of Mama.
CHAPTER 3: Michele wakes up to find Papa (not angry at all) and Barbara's Father sitting in the kitchen they are discussing business. He got dressed and went outside and Skull and the others were playing a game of soccer, Michele eventually went off for a ride, he wanted to go and see Filippo. He went to give him food and water. There is talk of a character named Sergio at the table and they also talk of the boy in the hole (Fillipo).
CHAPTER 4: Michele got up early, packed his bag with food and water, going to see Fillipo. He finds Felices Natale's Car, The brown coloured 127. Felice was Skull's older brother, he was crazy. Michele goes to see Fillipo. All of the adults are talking in a room,...

...I’m Not Scared Major Character Descriptions
1. Michele Amitrano- Michele's compassion is his most projecting characteristic that makes him appealing to the reader. Throughout the novel, he exhibits empathy well beyond his years, often making readers forget that he is just nine. This can be seen clearly in three main instances. First, when he goes after his sister when she has fallen over (pg. 4) despite his own fears. Secondly, offering to complete the forfeit in place of Barbra when Skull forces her to complete an embarrassing forfeit. Finally, and most evidently, when he takes care of Filippo. This makes for a positive contrast with the rest of Acqua Traverse who seem to lack any compassion. When describing places and characters he reveals his unique way of viewing things that demonstrates his childlike imagination and innocence. He often combines reality and fantasy, such as when describing the ‘Wicked Witch' (pg. 89) to Maria.
Michele is a hero in many ways. He exhibits all the characteristics and actions of someone who would certainly be considered a hero. He is compassionate for those who are weaker and more vulnerable, and helps them in spite of his fears for his own safety. His actions in the case of Filippo set his apart from others, as a hero. Michele defies his parent's wishes and, with the knowledge he would be in trouble, he returns to Filippo to honour his promise. However, it is his actions in the end of the text that define...